Chapter 31 The Suyu Corps will not cross the river for the time being, and concentrate its main force to wipe out the enemy in the Central Plains[1]

(May 5, 1948) Liu Deng[2], and East China Bureau: Directing the war to the south of the Yangtze River will make it easier for our troops to deal with the enemies in the Jianghuai and Han areas one by one, just as directing the war to the Jianghuai and Han areas since last autumn has made it easier for the enemies in Shandong, northern Jiangsu, northern Henan, southern Shanxi, and northern Shaanxi. This is the correct and unswerving policy, just like being solved by our army.However, there are still difficulties in crossing the river.At present, the task of the Suyu Corps (1st, 4th, and 6th Columns) is not to cross the river immediately, but to open up a road for crossing the river. , in the north and south areas of the Bianxu line, with the goal of annihilating five or six to eleven or twelve regular brigades of the Fifth Army and other departments, complete the task of preparing to cross the river.During this period, the Corps dispatched ten battalions, attached to local cadres, to cross the river one after another, spread over a wide area, and develop guerrilla warfare.The above plan was agreed upon with Chen Su[3] and Yibo and Xiannian[4].The Su Yu Corps will cross the river to fight at the end of this month when Chen Su returns from the central government and finishes his policy study and military training.The 3rd and 8th columns led by Chen Tang[5] should return to the Henan-Anhui Soviet Area and switch to the 1st column to go west, so that the corps' 1st, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 8th, and 11th columns can gather for a big battle.Ten Zong has gone to the border of Henan, Shaanxi and Hubei, but will not come back.However, in the battle in June and July, it was too late for Chen Tang to come back, so Yizong should join the two-month battle, and Chen Tang and Yizong should be replaced when the rainy season rests.Within this month, please Liu Deng ordered the First Column and the Eleventh Column to rest and reorganize at a suitable location south of Bianxu, and wait for Su Yu's order to coordinate operations at the end of the month.When Su Yu attacked the Fifth Army and other departments, the Xu Tan Corps[6] should move to the Jinpu line, annihilate and restrain the 12th Division, 75th Division, 84th Division, and 73rd Division.The time for the action should be in the second half of this month, and Xu Tan, the East China Bureau, should be asked to prepare.At the same time, Ling Zhiwei and Chen Corps [7] launched a campaign to wipe out the enemy in northern Jiangsu and cooperated with the action.The supply of the Suyu Corps was coordinated by North China and Shandong.

Military Commission Chenwei Published according to Mao Zedong's manuscript. -------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ note [1] Su Yu Corps refers to the First Corps of the East China Field Army where Su Yu served as commander and political commissar.Regarding the combat location and tasks of the Su Yu Corps, the Central Military Commission decided in January 1948 that Su Yu would lead the three columns of the Corps to cross the Yangtze River south to carry out a large mobile mission. Advance into the Fujian, Zhejiang and Jiangxi regions in several stages in a leap forward manner, thus attracting 20 to 30 brigades of the Kuomintang army back to defend the south of the Yangtze River, forcing the enemy into a more passive position.In the telegram to Su Yu drafted by Mao Zedong for the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China on January 27, 1948, he proposed three plans for crossing the river: one is to take advantage of the enemy's unpreparedness to cross the river from the upstream and downstream of Yichang The second is to enter the area south of the Qinling Mountains in the Funiu Mountains, north of the Yangtze River, and west of the Ping-Han Mountains in February, March, and April. Fight between the Yangtze River, return north in May, and cross the river in autumn after two or three months of rest.On February 1, Mao Zedong drafted a telegram to Su Yu for the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China on the issue of crossing the river, agreeing that Su Yu would lead three columns to go to the Longhai Line to rest for another one and a half months before dispatching in late March.For the route across the river, try to go between Hukou and Dangtu, or between Nanjing and Jiangyin.The method of crossing the river is wide frontal split or sub-echelon smuggling.On April 18th, Su Yu suggested to the Central Military Commission to suspend the crossing of the river, thinking that after the three columns crossed the river, they would not necessarily attract the main force of the Kuomintang army to return to the defense, but would instead disperse their own forces. Coupled with other unfavorable conditions, it is better to continue to fight in the Central Plains as well.On April 30, after the central meeting discussed, Su Yu's suggestion was adopted by Mao Zedong and the Central Military Commission.Since then, our army has achieved major victories on the Central Plains battlefield, creating favorable conditions for the upcoming Huaihai Campaign.

[2] Liu Deng, referring to Liu Bocheng and Deng Xiaoping, who were the commander and political commissar of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Field Army at that time. [3] Chen Su, referring to Chen Yi and Su Yu, who were respectively the commander, political commissar and deputy commander of the East China Field Army at that time, and were attending an enlarged meeting of the CPC Central Committee Secretariat in Nanzhuang, Fuping City, Hebei. [4] Yibo, that is, Bo Yibo, was the first deputy political commissar of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Military Region.Xiannian, that is, Li Xiannian, was the deputy commander of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Field Army at that time.

[5] Chen Tang, referring to Chen Shiju and Tang Liang, who were respectively the Chief of Staff and Director of the Political Department of the East China Field Army at that time. [6] Xu Tan Corps refers to the Shandong Corps of the East China Field Army with Xu Shiyou as the commander and Tan Zhenlin as the political commissar. [7] Wei Chen Corps refers to the North Jiangsu Corps of the East China Field Army with Wei Guoqing as the commander and Chen Pixian as the political commissar.